Orrick Herrington & Sutcliffe is in merger talks with Washington DC firm Swidler Berlin Shereff Friedman – the San Francisco leader’s third set of US merger talks in a year.

The talks with 235-lawyer Swidler Berlin are aimed at boosting Orrick’s 50-lawyer Washington DC office and would hand it Swidler Berlin’s top-tier local insolvency practice as well as additional bulk in its telecoms and regulatory practices.